The Hague Academy of International Law

The Hague Academy of International Law was conceived more than a century ago as an instrument for the promotion of peace through law. It began to operate in 1923 at the Peace Palace. The Academy was established thanks to funds received from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and with the support of Tobias Asser, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. It has its seat in the vicinity of the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The Academy is most known for its world-famous annual Summer Courses on Public International Law and Private International Law, which have been offered to students and professionals from all countries of the World for almost a century.

Over time, other noteworthy activities have been added: the Centre for Studies and Research, the External Programme, the Programme for Advanced Studies, Colloquia and programmes on demand. The newest additions are the annual Side Event organized during International Law Week at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in October and the Winter Courses on International Law. Altogether, these activities make the Academy an institution that is constantly striving to adapt its dissemination of knowledge of international law to be in line with the needs of the time. The General Assembly of the United Nations regularly underlines “the contributions of the Hague Academy to the teaching, study, dissemination and wider appreciation of international law” (A/RES/72/115 of 7 December 2017, para. 23).

When the first Summer Courses were given at the Academy, on 14 July 1923, it welcomed 353 students at the Peace Palace, including 35 women, from 31 different States. Over the years, these figures steadily increased, and have now reached an average of 650 students, of approximately one hundred different nationalities, attending one of the two periods of the Summer Courses, or both. In total, more than 1,500 eminent professors have taught at the Academy, and their courses have been followed by more than 45,000 attendees. A great number of these participants have become prominent jurists, famous academics, well-known practitioners, renowned diplomats, or leading politicians. Some of them return to the Academy as lecturers. In this regard, a stay at The Hague Academy is a unique opportunity for attendees of so many different nationalities not only to develop precious and enduring friendships throughout the World, but also to build up their future professional network.
Programme

Programme

Opening times: 10.30 – 12.30 a.m

Location: Auditorium

Short introductory video – ENG

Presentation of the Academy and short introduction to the field of International Law (ENG)

Q&A session (ENG)

Total duration of each presentation is 45 minutes max. Maximum amount of 40 visitors per group.

Address

Security

Most organisations have strict security. Because of this, we have added a list of the DO’s and DON’Ts for you. As a visitor, you’ll be required to follow these. You will receive your security passes a week beforehand via e-mail. We ask you to please bring it with you. The security of the organisations can ask you to show your passes. Although the chance is there that registration will be enough and you will not be asked to show your pass. At all times you are required to bring a legal personal ID, like a passport of a ID-Card. Bus-, library, etc. cards are not valid identification. Security checks take time, so please keep this in mind when visiting. We ask for your patience for any eventual waiting times.